Have you ever had those moments in life where you’re juggling so many balls that some are bound to drop and you feel like you can only really concentrate on one or two of them? You might be juggling your full-time job, starting your virtual assistant business, family, kids, personal stuff and countless other things.

If you’ve ever felt that way (which I’m sure you have) then here are some strategies I use to move forward. First, I stop and walk away from whatever it is that’s consuming me and do something else entirely.

I might:

Take a walk

Get a hot shower

Play with my son

Drink some hot tea

Watch a show I have recorded on the DVR

Listen to some music

You don’t necessarily need to do one of these things. These are just the suggestions that work for me. Take a minute to make your own list.

Then I come back to the situation with fresh eyes.

And I make a plan. I write down everything that needs to get done and then—this is the most important part—I schedule it on my calendar. With so many things going on in my life at once, things just won’t get done if they’re not scheduled in. Then I honor myself and the schedule.

My best advice is not to jam pack and overfill that calendar or set yourself up for unrealistic goals. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. No, you can’t add more. And as I always tell people, if you could add more hours in a day, you’d fill it up with busy stuff and not the stuff that you really love to do.

So take the pressure off yourself. Schedule what’s most important, including time for yourself (even if it’s just 10 minutes).

Now it’s your turn. What advice do you have when there are too many things on your plate? What works for you? Which of these strategies are you going to try?